The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-18
BATTLE OF oKEECHoBEE.
Col. e. Taylor's Description of Fight
With the Indians.

With the Indians.
Capt. F. A. Hendry furnishes the Myers
Press with the following copy of Gen. Tay-
lor's report of the battle OF Lake Okeechobee,
fought Dec. %, 1887:
GENERAL: A part of my force left Fort
Gardner on Dec. 10, and left with the bal
ance excepting a small force to protect the
supplies at That fort, on the following morn
ing, and after rapid march down the hls-
simmee, of which movement | advised you
i'll my letter of Dec 49, | reached its banks
again on the evening of the third day, about
fifteen miles above its entrance into
Lake Okeechobee, and learned from
prisoner l captured on that day that
Alligator with all the war spirits of the
Seminoles, with Sam Jones and 175 Mic
causakeys were encamped about twenty-five
miles in advance ON the east side of the ks
simmee. | crossed the Kissimmee
where l left Capt. Munroe with his
company, the pioneers, pontoniers and
large portion of the Delaware Indians, who
declined going, alleging that their feet and
legs were so badly cut by the saw palmetto
that they could not march any furtherl
the next day, taking the captured
Indian with me as guide, who
went very reluctantly, in pursuit
of the enemy, and after passing several
cypress swamps and dense hummocks, |
reached the vicinity of the evenings en-
campment on the morning of Dec. %, and
although occupying one of the strongest and
most difficult places to approach and enter
in Florida, which no doubt had been selected
for the purpose of giving me battle there, as
| was informed by prisoner l took the
evening previous, but relying on the valor
Of the officers and soldiers of my command,
as well as on the skill of the former, | did
not hesitate a moment in bringing them to
action.
After making the necessary arrangements
| entered swamp nearly a mile in width,
impossible for horse and almost SO for foot.
| reached the hummock in which they were
stationed, between II and p. M, when the
action commenced the enemy opening a
warm fire on the volunteers, who composed
the first line, great portion of whom fell
back in rear of the Fourth and Sixth In
fantry; which corps, under one of the
warmest and most destructive fires ever
experienced from Indians, particularly
the Sixth, pressed forward, gained the hum
mock, and after a severe struggle for more
than an hour, after being Joined by the
First infantry, which were held in reserve,
and two companies of the Fourth that had
been detached to the right, who joined a
short time before the close of the battle, the
enemy was completely routed and driven in
every direction, and were pursued by the
troops until near night and until they were
completely exhausted.
The victory was dearly purchased, but
fatter myself that the result will be
equivalent to the sacrifice made The
enemy made his greatest efforts to break
the centre of the Sixth, killing and wound
ing every officer of four companies, with
one exception, and every orderly sergeant
of those companies, killing its gallant COM
mander and adjutant, who fell where they
fought in the hottest of the action, and
mortally wounding the sergeant major,
who is since dead.
The next day was employed in the sad Of
fees of interring the dead and taking care
of the wounded all of whom were brought
back across the moraSs to camp that even
ing with one exception, not being able to
find the body, and in constructing filters to
convey the wounded TO the place where l
left my wagons.
am thus far on my way to that point
and shall reach there tomorrow, where l
shall take as good care of the wounded as
possible and also recruit my men and horses
at my several advanced depots particu-
larly the latter, before | can again take the
field
The enemy, all things considered, proba-
bly, suffered equally with ourselves; they
left ten bodies on the field, besides carrying
many off without doubt, as there were
traces of blood to the banks of the Okee-
chobee lake, on the borders of which the
battle was fought.
Wishing you health and success, Iremain,
General, your obedient servant,
r. TAYLOR,
Colonel Commanding.
MAJ. Gen. 7. S. Jesup, Commanding Army
of South Florida.
p. S.-As soon as | can do so will make
you more full report of the battle and my
operations.
am now writing without candle, with
pine knots as a substitute, in cabbage tree
hummock in the centre of large prairie
on very dirty sheet of paper, which is the
only one in camp
David Pingree's Land Speculation.